What is your Religion (if any)

[Ioulianos]

Im Greek,i hope that im orthodox,im certanly not a christian.I'm influenced by epicurean and platonic ideas of how God(s) may be.it is Celsos' "True Doctrine" that starts with the comment that Jesus was the son of a roman soldier called Panthiras.

[Dienekes]

Ioulianos said:

I'm influenced by epicurean and platonic ideas of how God(s) may be.

Epicureanism is the antithesis of Platonism. I would be very interested to see how you reconcile the two.

[Satyros]

Dienekes said:

Epicureanism is the antithesis of Platonism. I would be very interested to see how you reconcile the two.

He probably combines in his mind the two opposite extremes of hedonism and idealism to create his unique personal "medium" worldview!

[Artemisia]

Satyros said:

He probably combines in his mind the two opposite extremes of hedonism and idealism to create his unique personal "medium" worldview!

Why does everyone think that Epicurianism is all about hedonism? To lead a good life means more than just being hedonistic and Epicurus did not say that hedonism was the goal in life. Later commentators twisted around his philosophy and ridiculed it, making people think that Epicurianism was all about extravagant living and lots of sex associated with such a kind of life.

[Dienekes]

Artemisia said:

Why does everyone think that Epicurianism is all about hedonism? To lead a good life means more than just being hedonistic and Epicurus did not say that hedonism was the goal in life.

Epicurus did believe that pleasure was the supreme good. Epicurus rejects any other goal that is unaccompanied by pleasure. He recommends the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain, although sometimes it is good to suffer some pain to great future pleasure, or to avoid some pleasure to avoid future pain.

[Dienekes]

Artemisia said:

Why does everyone think that Epicurianism is all about hedonism? To lead a good life means more than just being hedonistic and Epicurus did not say that hedonism was the goal in life.

Epicurus did believe that pleasure was the supreme good. Epicurus rejects any other goal that is unaccompanied by pleasure. He recommends the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain, although sometimes it is good to suffer some pain to gain great future pleasure, or to avoid some pleasure to avoid future pain.

[Artemisia]

Dienekes said:

Epicurus did believe that pleasure was the supreme good. Epicurus rejects any other goal that is unaccompanied by pleasure. He recommends the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain, although sometimes it is good to suffer some pain to gain great future pleasure, or to avoid some pleasure to avoid future pain.

Yes, but most people tend to over-emphasize the sex part of Epicureanism. I believe that Epicurean philosophy was closer to Platonic idealism than most believe. He was really saying that happiness is the goal in life and that the pursuit of "ideal" happiness is essential (although few, if any, people could attain it). The pursuit of pleasure does not necessarily mean the pursuit of pleasures of the flesh.
I do like Epicureanism, although I don't agree with its belief that people should distance themselves from politics and pay no attention to social situations.

[Ioulianos]

..."This was written in the grave of Sardanapalos: They were mine,everything i ate and enjoyed." ..."Sardanapalos,although he was a man,he stayed all day in his palace,combing his purple hair between his prostitutes.When he died,they built a stone statue that pretend him dance like a barbarian and hit his hands to his head.they put this sign to the statue: Eat,drink,f*ck,nothing else matters." Plutarchos Do you think that these are the pleasures,the "Hedones",Epikuros talked about? Was Sardanapalos a prophet of Epikurean philosophy?

[Ioulianos]

"Otan yposthrizo oti skopos einai i idini,den ennow tis idones ton asoton kai ton aisthisiakon apolafseon,opos nomizun kapoioi-apo agnoia i epeidi diafonun mazi mou i parexigun ta logia mou-alla ennoo to na min ypoferei kaneis somatikus ponus kai na min einai i psihi tou taragmeni." Epikuros

[Ioulianos]

I think Epikuros is the most misunderstood philosopher ever.He makes clear that soul pleasures come first to his scale.The perfect state for a human being,which is called "ataraxia" in his philosophy,is the lack of physical and spiritual pains,which means body health and lack of fear of God,death,metaphysical stuff.Anyway i was concetrated in his beleifs on Gods' nature.According Epikuros,God doesnt seek followers,isnt jealous of other Gods and doesnt trade favour for loyality,like "modern" religions do. "The fotunate and immortal Being (God) doesnt have problems of Its own neither cause any to the others.Thats why it doesnt get ungry or give favour to anyone' because these are actions of the weak beings." Epikuros,Kyria Doxa 1. "Death means nothing to us.Because those who have died,dont sense' and anything that doesnt sense,doesnt concern us. Epikuros,Kyria Doxa 2. "It is impossible to live in pleasure if you dont live wisely,in kindness,in justice.And you cant live wisely,in kindness,in justice if you miss joy.You cant be happy without these things" Epikuros,Kyria Doxa 5. Are these thought reflect less idealism to you? Cant these views be combined with certain platonic ideas of God,death,soul,etc???

[xxx]

I am a Roman Catholic by tradition, but an agnostic by conviction.

I find pantheism, paganism, etc. are backwards ideas, usually for half-brained nordicists of one type or another. But I wouldn't mind joining one of these groups if their rituals included dancing naked around a firebone and other types of sexual orgies.

Of course I'm kidding here... or am I?

[xxx]

AWAR said:

New Age paganism is tailored for US citizens. I visited some pagan forums and chats, most of the members were either women or gays

gays? as in queers? On second thoughts I would mind joining their sexual rites!!!

[Silveira]

I am a Roman Catholic. I think "paganism" is made up mostly of new-age hippy giberish and crazy people trying to resurrect a past which they (or we) cannot fully understand.

[xxx]

I find it sad when I read people saying that they believe in some kind of pantheism, politheism or any kind of paganism. Just like animism... it has taken mankind hundreds of years to evolve, intelectually speaking, for someone to go back to those primitive beliefs.

I'm sure that even many Romans at the time took their gods not too seriously, which is probably one reason why a god like the one preached by Christianism would be widely accepted, despite the fact that it was a "less comfortable" religion.

A more intelligent option, one which I could understand that people adhere to, would have been some kind of dualism, like the one of Mazdaism. Or Gnosticism, even if I don't know much about it.

On the other hand, atheism, although I can understand it, is a real threat to mankind. It is far more backwards retarded than any pagan belief. One can argue that humans were once atheists... but then developed a small degree of intelligence and became animists.

[Praetor]

Ioulianos said:

I think Epikuros is the most misunderstood philosopher ever.He makes clear that soul pleasures come first to his scale.The perfect state for a human being,which is called "ataraxia" in his philosophy,is the lack of physical and spiritual pains,which means body health and lack of fear of God,death,metaphysical stuff.Anyway i was concetrated in his beleifs on Gods' nature.According Epikuros,God doesnt seek followers,isnt jealous of other Gods and doesnt trade favour for loyality,like "modern" religions do. "The fotunate and immortal Being (God) doesnt have problems of Its own neither cause any to the others.Thats why it doesnt get ungry or give favour to anyone' because these are actions of the weak beings." Epikuros,Kyria Doxa 1. "Death means nothing to us.Because those who have died,dont sense' and anything that doesnt sense,doesnt concern us. Epikuros,Kyria Doxa 2. "It is impossible to live in pleasure if you dont live wisely,in kindness,in justice.And you cant live wisely,in kindness,in justice if you miss joy.You cant be happy without these things" Epikuros,Kyria Doxa 5. Are these thought reflect less idealism to you? Cant these views be combined with certain platonic ideas of God,death,soul,etc???

I don't know if Epicurus is misunderstood.What I know is his huge influence on Jeremy Bentham and Utilitarianism in general. What a healthy basis for thought ancient Greek philosophy is.